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Bangladesh might host IPL 7 for 16 ties: reports

Owing to the April 7-May 12 general elections, all the matches cannot be held in India.

Kolkata: If the Union home ministry okays a proposal from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to hold "44 of the 60" matches of IPL 7 within the country, then the remaining 16 will be held in Bangladesh, according to reports.

IPL 7 tentatively begins on April 9 and all franchise owners have been told by the governing council that if the general elections - to be held in phases across the country between April and May - clash with the IPL, then some part of IPL has to take place outside the country. Back in 2009, the entire IPL 2 had to be moved to South Africa because of the last general elections.

"The position, as we speak, is that we're looking to hold 44 or around 73 per cent of the matches within the country. The ball is in the home ministry's court," a well-placed source told The Telegraph on Sunday evening.

The BCCI has to complete IPL 7 between April 9-June 3 as the window can't be stretched as India have to tour England soon afterwards. The source added that South Africa could become the venue for the first half if "50 per cent or so" of the matches have to be held overseas.

But if it's a matter of just 16 matches, then it won't be feasible to go all the way to South Africa... Economics is a big factor... That's why we're looking at neighbouring Bangladesh," the source told The Telegraph.